The Mystery of Miss King by Margaret Ryan Page B

really hairy legs.”
    â€œSmooth, I think, and brown…”
    â€œSee,” said Sara. “You
are
remembering. I could be a policeman like your dad. I bet he’s good at getting people to remember things.”
    â€œWhy don’t you tell your dad about it and see what he thinks,” said Surinder.
    â€œI’m going to, just as soon as I get home,” I nodded. But I couldn’t get that foot out of my mind. I kept seeing it, sticking up out of the sack, and it put me off my schoolwork.
    â€œYou’ve been staring into space all morning, Jonny Smith,” frowned Miss Dodds, when she saw how few maths problems I had done. “You’ll finish these at home.”
    â€œOK,” I sighed, and put my maths book into my rucksack. I’d have to do them after I tidied my room.
    Mr McGregor, our football coach, wasn’t too pleased with me at practice, either.
    â€œYou’re on another planet, today, Smith,” he yelled. “Keep your eye on the ball if you want to keep your place in the team.”
    â€œUh huh,” I muttered, and did my best, but I couldn’t wait to get home to tell Dad what I’d seen.
    In the end, I told Mum and Gran, too, as they were all sitting in the kitchen.

    â€œAre you sure about this, Jonny?” frowned Dad, when I’d finished. “You’ve told us some strange stories about the people in Weir Street before.”
    â€œBut they all turned out to be true,” Mum pointed out.
    â€œThe enormous pirate, the wacky inventor, the mysterious archaeologist…” Gran ticked them off on her fingers. “And now… Did you know that in the nineteenth century there were two men called Burke and Hare, who were grave robbers. They used to dig up the bodies then sell the parts to medical science.”
    â€œThat’s quite enough of that.” Dad was stern. “I’m sure there’s a perfectly simple explanation. The foot’s probably a theatrical prop, or something from a joke shop.”
    â€œBut you could check the missing persons register,” Gran said. “Just to be sure.”
    â€œYou watch too many cop shows,” sighed Dad. “But I’ll drop by the station tomorrow, if you like.”
    â€œExcellent,” said Gran. “I love a good mystery.”
    She wasn’t the only one. Sara phoned me later that evening.
    â€œSurinder and I have been talking,” she said. “We’ve decided you shouldn’t go back to Miss King’s on your own, so we’ll help with your paper round tomorrow.”

    â€œBut you two hate getting up early,” I said. “I bet you just want to have a look in that shed.”
    â€œMaybe,” said Sara. “But I don’t hear you complaining.”
    She was right. I would be glad of their company. Just in case…

Chapter Three

    â€œWhat do you know about Miss King at number 57?” I asked Mr Maini, while I was waiting for Sara and Surinder to arrive.
    â€œNot a lot.” Mr Maini shook his head. “She hasn’t lived in the street very long, but she seems nice enough. She has a big, shaggy dog called Thor. He comes in here with her to buy dog food. And she orders loads of magazines. Which reminds me, I have another one for her today.” He took it from under the counter and popped it in my orange bag. But not before I’d seen the title:
Ancient Burial Grounds
.
    I swallowed hard. What did she want to know about
them
for? Fortunately, atthat moment Sara and Surinder arrived, so I went outside to meet them.
    â€œLet’s go to number 57 first,” said Sara. “I can’t wait to sneak a look at that foot.”
    â€œOK,” I agreed. “I’ll be glad to get it over with.”
    We pedalled right up to the top of the hill to Miss King’s house.
    â€œYou didn’t tell us the garden was full of Vikings!” exclaimed Surinder.
    â€œDid you know that, starting